Mattress-filling machine



(No Model.)

W. H. PUTNAM. MATTRESS FILLING MACHIE.

No. 519,203. Patented May l1, 1894.

" ATTORNEYS.

` held in tion, and fed in that shape to a casing held to .UNTTEDSTATESA PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM H. PUTNAM, OF DURAND, MICHIGAN.

MATTRESS-Hume MACHINE. d

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters` Patent No. 519,203, dated May1,1894.

` Application lcd March 6, 1893. Serial No. 464,754. (Nomodel.)

.To all whom. it may concern..-

Be it .known that I, WILLIAM H. PUTNAM, of Durand, in the county ofShiawassee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and ImprovedMattress-Filling Machine, of which 1the following is a full, clear,andexact descriplon.

^ My invention relates to an improvement in mattress filling machines,and it hasfor its object to provide a machine which will be vexceedinglysimple, durable and economicin its construction, and by means of whichthe fill- 1ng may be expeditiously and conveniently proper quantityandperfect distribureceive the filling, the filling while being .forcedinto the casing having pressure equalized upon it to such an extent thatno portion of the filling will be disturbed while it is be- Ing placedwithin the casing. i

.Another feature of the invention is to providearnachine capable ofbeing expeditiously and conveniently adjusted to produce mattresses ofdifferent sizes.

The inventionconsistsinthe novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as w1ll be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.` i

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawlngs, forming a part ofthis specication, 1n which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, portions of it being brokenaway. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the machine, the machinebeing shown in position to receive the filling. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical secl tion taken essentially on the line 3-3 of Fig.

1, illustrating the machine in position for delivering the filling tothe mattress casing or ticking. Fig. 4 is a partial vertical andlongitudinal section through the forward portion of the machine,illustrating the adj ustability of its parts; and Fig.5 is a transversesection through the presser board of the machine, the section beingtaken essentially on the lines 5-5 of Figs. 1 and 2. i

In carrying out the invention the body of the machine may be said toconsist of a bed 10, which bed rests upon suitable sills 11, and

the sills are attached to legs 12,' whereby the bed is maintained aproper distance above the floor. The legsl are preferably made to extendvertically upward-beyond the bed, and serve as supports for side bars orpieces 13 and 14. One side board, the iside board 13,

for example, is securely fastened to the bed and to the upper portion ofthe legs at thatl able in order that provision may be made for makingmattresses of different widths. The side boards are extended at theirlower ends beyond the forward legs or uprights 12, the extensions 15 ofthe boards, as shown in Fig.

4, passing over the inner faces of the legs or` standards. The adjustment of the side board 14, is preferablyaccomplished by projectingfrom the outer face of the said side board arms 14a, the arms beinglongitudinally slotted to receive bolts 15, whichbolts are passedthrough slots in the legs or standards l2, or in sections connectedtherewith. p

A presser board A, is pivoted or hinged at one of its ends to a boardorbeam A', extending from one forward leg or standard to the othertransversely across the bed, the beam or board A being located at someelevation from the bed, as shown in both Figs. 3 and. 4. This beam orboard AV', is adjustable, and the manner in which it is adjusted will behereinafter set forth. The presser board A, is located between the sideboards 13 and 14, and

the presser board is constructed in such manner that it may beexpeditiously reduced or increased in width, as the presser board is,

adapted to fit snugly between the side boards of the bed no matter howsaid boards are adjusted. To that end the presser board is made up ofvaseries of strips 16, having a j tongue and groove o-r like connection,as shown in Fig. 5; and each of the strips 16 is removable from theboard A, .by loosening the screws of the hinge joint-or in any otherapproved manner, and a series of battens17, is located upon the upperface of the presser board, its lower face being straight or smooth. Thesaid battens are placed loosely upon the presser board, being made toslide under IOO straps 18, secured to the board, as best shown in Fig.5. The battens are preferably made in two sections ct and a', thesections of the b attens being recessed at their opposing ends in suchmanner as to reduce them in width; and the reduced ends of the battensare made to slide one upon the other, the engaging portions of thesections passing beneath one of .the straps 18, and the reduction of theopposing ends of the batten sections is so made that when these sectionsof the battens are in engagement they are combinedly of the same widthas their uncut portions. Thus it will be observed that the presser boardmay be increased or decreased in width by adding stri ps to the bodyportion of the board, or removing sundry of the strips therefrom. Thebatten sections are always so located upon the presser board that theends of the sections will be flush with the said edges of the board, orpractically so. The center batten may be, and preferably is, providedwith a staple or the equivalent thereof, whereby a block and fall may beattached to a batten to elevate the free end of the board.

A follower B, is held to travel upon the bed 10, and this follower ispreferably located at the rearportion of themachine,and is adapted tohave free movement to and from the forward end of the bed. The followeris preferably made in two sections b and b', the sections beingconnected by an adjusting bolt and nut 19, as best shown in Fig. 1, oran equivalent device, one section of the follower being made to slide inthe other section, and the two sections may be connected by'one or moresprings in addition to the connection formed by the bolt 19. Thefollower is ordinarily made rectangular in cross section, and it isprovided upon its upper and lower edge upon its outer face with a seriesof pins, the upper setbeing designated as 2O and the lower set as 21. Inorder' that the follower may have proper guided movement upon the bed,the sections of the follower at their outer ends are provided withbottom extensions 22,shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, which extensionspass through slots 23, made in the bottom portions of the sideboardsimmediately over the bed. Between the upper portions of the front set oflegs, standards or uprights 12, a guide roller 24, is pivoted, the axisof the roller being preferably in horizontal alignment with the pivotpoint of the presser board, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or practicallyso; and this roller 24, is j ournaled in boxes 24, which boxes havesliding movement in openings 24b made in the said uprights, as shownbest in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the boxes being raised or lowered by suitableadjusting mechanism. A second roller 25,is located above the guideroller 24, and a strip of canvas 26,01' like material, is secured uponthe upper roller, which latter is awinding roller, andthe canvas stripis passed downward to an engagement with the guide roller 24 and thencerearward to the follower. A second guide roller 27, is journaled beneaththe guide roller 24, opposite the forward end of the bed; and a lowerwinding roller 28, is journaled beneath the lower guide roller, thewinding roller having secured upon it one end of a canvas strip 29,which strip is passed over the lower guide roller and thence rearwardlyalong the bed to the follower. The distance between the two guiderollers 24 and 27 will determine the thickness of the mattress to bemade; and the upper strip 26, is adapted to be attached to the followerB, through the medium of its upper row of pins 20, while the lower stripis adapted to be attached to the follower through the medium of itslower setof pins 21. It will be understood that strips 26 of differentWidths are employed to iill mattresses of different widths. Thus onestrip will pass over the top of the follower and the other strip underits bottom portion. The follower B, in addition to being adjustablelongitudinally may likewise be made adjustable vertically.

In front of the guide rollers beams are located upon the frame of themachine, extending transversely of it, the upper beam being designatedas 30 and the lower one as 31. The lower beam is stationarywhile theupper beam is vertically adjustable, and is adjusted to correspond tothe adjustment of the upper' guide roller 24, the adjustment beingeffected through the medium of the adjusting mechanisln connected withthe box 24:L of the said upper guide roller 24, since the board A towhich the presser board is connected,t he box in which the upper guideroller is journaled and the upper beam 30 are connected by a bolt 31 orthe equivalent thereof, a suitable vertical slot being produced in thefront and rear faces of the upper sections of the front standards 12 toadmit of the vertical movement of the bolts. provided with a metal strip30, attached to the lower edge of the upper beam and the upper edge ofthe lower beam, and the said metal strips extend inward, resting againstthe forward extensions and the sides of the machine frame, the plates30, extending practically the length of the beams. The purpose of theseplates is to fill the gap between the beams 30 and 3l,and the canvasstrips 2G and 29, to guide the ller and preventit from bulgingoutwardly. Each beam is provided with a series of fingers 32, projectedhorizontally from it, the fingers of the upper beam extending from itslower edge, while the lingers of the lower beam are carried from itsupper edge; and side fingers 32,are projected from the forwardextensions of the side pieces of the machine frame, as is likewise shownin Figs. 4 and 2.

Each beam is provided with a clamp 33, the said clamps being adapted forengagement with the fingers of the beams, the clamp upon the upper beamengaging with the upper surface of the fingers of that beam, while theclamp upon the lower beam engages with the lower faces ofthe lingers ofthat beam 5 and Each beam 30 and 3l, is I 4 `side clamps 34:, are alsoemployed to engage with the side sets of fingers'.` All ofthe clamps `4Fig.2,the trunnions of the upper drum being provided with asprocketwheel 85, while the' trunnion of the lower drnrn is providedwith a corresponding wheel 36, the two wheels being connected by a chainbelt 37; but other forms of pulleys and belting may be employed, and inthe drawings the two winding rollers or drums are manipulated byattaching to the upper onea crank 38,but the said crank may be securedupon oneof the trunnions of the lower roller, or other form of power maybe `applied toeither roller.

In the operation of the device, the follower, presser board and sides ofthe machine, and likewise the guide and feedrollers 24 and 27 havingbeen adjusted, together with the upper finger beam 30 to accommodatefilling for the ticking or casing C of predetermined size, the presserboard is elevated andthe upper strip of canvas or pliable material 26,is likewise elevated, and the filling to be used is placed upon thelower strip 29between the follower and the front portion i of themachine and the presser board and the said lower strip.` When a properquantity of filling has been placed upon the lower strip 29, the upperflexible strip is carried rearward and fastened to the upper portion ofthe .follower, the lower iiexible strip having been attached to thefollower before the filling was The presser board is placed in themachine. thencarried downward until it stands in a true horizontalposition, thus exerting equal pressure over the entire surface of thefilling, and the presser board is locked in that position by means of abar, bolts or like devices entering the sides of the bed and bearingupon the board,as shown at in Fig. 3. The fill` 'c ing will now be heldbetween the upper and lower flexible strips in the same position it isintended to assume when placed in the casing. The casing or ticking C isfully made up, butiis open at one end; and the open end or mouth of theticking is slid over the fingers of the front finger beams of themachine, and likewise the side fingers 32, untilthe opposite endof theticking shall have been engaged withv the outer ends of the fingers, theclamps holding the ticking upon the fingers. A table or other equivalentsupport is placed opposite the forward end of the machine to receive andsupport the ticking when filled. The filling of the ticking isaccomplished by operating the crank 38, and thereby turning the windingrollers 25 and 28 and causing the flexible strips to bewound thereon,and while thestrips are being woundthe follower is drawn forward by thestrips, but not in a manner to crowd the filling, as it is heldperfectly flatat top and bottom, and likewise at its sides by means ofthe `fiexible strips, the follower and the sides of the machine.` Thusit will be observed that a filling of the exact size and `shape it isdesigned `to have in the casing or tickinglis fed into the latter; andas tlie'ticking is filled it ismoved along the table or support, thefilled portions of the tickingslipping gradually from beneath the clampswhich hold the ticking upon the fingers until the ticking has beenentirely filled, at which time it is simplynecessary to sew up the openend ormouth. c j

It is obvious that a machine constructed as above described isexceedingly simple and durable as well as economic, and that it may bemanipulated with dispatch and in a convenient manner. Further it isevident that .thefilling will be placed in the ticking in a uniformmanner, and 'that when the filled ticking leaves the machine it will beof uniform thickness throughout, or practically so. Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatentl l. In a `mattress lilling machine, a filling device, consistingof upper and lower stretches or pieces of pliable material, a followerconnected with one end of `said strips or pieces, a take up mechanismconnected with the op4 posite ends of the strips, side boards, and topand bottom boards adapted to `be held in contact with the outer surfacesof the 'said strips plane surface as n to keep them stretched i-n a andfor the purpose set forth.` c

2. In a mattress filling machine, the colnbination, with a bed, apresser' board located above the bed, and adjustable side boards betweenwhich the presser `board is placed, of a follower having movement uponthe bed between the side boards, flexible strips located one above theother and adapted. for attachment respectively to the upper and lowerportions of the follower, a winding mechanism connected with the endsvof' the strips opposite the follower, and a case-holding mechanismlocated opposite the strips, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a mattress` filling machine, the combination, with a bed, anadjustable follower held to slide upon the bed, adjustable sidessupported by the bed, and an adjustable presser board located betweenthe sides, of a winding mechanism located at one end of the bed,flexible strips connected with th'e winding mechanism and extending inparallel lines rearward over the bed, the strips being adapted forengagement respectively with the upper and lower portions of thefollower, a case `holding cage formed of longitudinal fingers projectingat the front end of the machine and clamps located one above the other'in essentially horizontal alignment with the respectively, windingrollers having a driving connection with one another, each of the saidflexible strips being secured to one of the winding rollers and passedover one 0f the guide rollers to the follower, 'and a caseholdingmechanism located at the frontend of the machine in essentiallyhorizontal alignment with the horizontal stretches of the said strips,as and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM l-I. PUTNAM.

Witnesses:

CHAs. C. DE CAMP, W. H. CLEMoNs.

